Former West Ham defender on trial for assaulting a bouncer

Former West Ham youth defender Izzy Iriekpen is currently on trial for assaulting two bouncers in July 2014 and is set to appear at Central Criminal Court today to continue his hearing.

The 33-year-old glassed bouncer Simon Williams and also assaulted Ymen Topuzi outside the same Westbourne pub in Notting Hill.

Williams was rushed to hospital with a severed artery in his neck and was given a blood transfusion and immediate surgery.

Topuzi came away less injured but was left with a swollen, bloody lip the court had heard.

Iriekpen told the court yesterday he felt ‘disrespected’ in front of a young blonde woman outside the London pub, which led to his lashing out towards the ‘aggressive’ bouncers where he claims he was acting in self-defence.

He went on to state that he had forgotten he was holding the glass when he attacked Simon Williams.

Iriekpen was the captain of West Ham’s famous 1999 FA Youth Cup winning team but failed to make any appearances for the first team during his four years at Upton Park due to injury problems.

He was loaned out to Leyton Orient and Cambridge United in 2002 and 2003 respectively, before joining Swansea, then in League Two, on a free transfer.

After being part of the Swans’ promotion-winning campaign in 2005, Iriekpen had stints at Scunthorpe United, Bristol City, and Scottish side Hamilton Academical before retiring from injury in 2009.